THE TARANTULA

\ COMPLETE NOVELETTE

By John Nelson Cole, Jr.

IT'UCV O. Henry died and Buffalo H. Wild W«*t abow went Into bank- • m ry. the genuine cowboy la ««ttln? ,, i,c a* scarce as an American bison. And if the truth were told, *ten O. l .-nry began to write storioa abont r -.miK<ys he hadn’t been west of Phlla-ij-iphla. and one of Buffalo Bill's best I unchers was born near Seventeenth • and Third avenue, Manhattan. As to bison. It I* generally known • ><>u can go In’o the Bronx Parte almost any Sunday afternoon and , ant all the blsm in captivity, with vreptlon of a few In Yellowstone one or two obstinate bulls In the Mdian wilds that still refuse to Micati Richards was genuine, all the from the brim of his eight-ounce ison to the steel points of his dot- . spurs. He was genuine, and more than that was a cowboy. He’d been over every foot of around in Colonel Everett's forty-mile range; tier* wasn't a prairie dog bole that couldn't locate In the uarfc and . m ry long-horn in the herd knew the . Ish of Alkali's le-rtat. A lot of tenderfee* have an Idea • i. s t when a steer gets his mind made up ana his bead down he's as bard • ■ stop as a runaway locomotive. But Ukiul Rlchsrds knew bow to stop a leer In any meod. When one got ateent-minded and btoke out for a scrimmage at the rate of thirty miles an hour he was thrown lor a loss on the first down with the 12-list around his left hind leg. or both bind legs, or a hind leg and a fore lee; In fact, abound any combination r.f legs that Alkali fancied a* the mon.mt to select. So when Alkali Rlchar.' announced tr the company on the bruss rail at Happy Patty's refreshment emporium ihat ho was going to South Americs • help bnllf* a railroad. Joe Hackett. Alkali’s side imriner. set his glass of threeetar Mulligan o n the bar iMithed. and every ateer on the range a sigh or relief. ••No use talking. g~nts.” said Alkali. m coins io the railroad business for • There ain’t a future to this • P inching game, and. besides. 1’ P rsonal reasons for pullin’ up si <•* that 1 ain’t mentioning in this

killing snakes and spiders and cut ting j i>ecker was Just telling me how sorry

■nderbrusk tr n jungle. I be was you missed the train.” But you didn’t consider Alkali such | Alkali’s reply war to Decker;

a reckless adventurer, after all, pro j “So that is the kind of sport you tided you had seen Sties Virginia Dar- are? You leave me in the Jungle while gun. 1 you ride to town. Well, if that's your She was one of t.ioee tender, con came yon didn’t get away with ».

tiding little creature* who made allj I’m here- iu stay."

men want to fight for "her and protect; Alkall’a tone was a sneer as cold

Hut what’s the use.” protested Joe. burying yourself In South Amer- " There's railroads in ibis country, m’t there? You can’t speak enough - 'ith American to go in a bar anu ■Jf.rder a drink. I'm through with that rum stuff. Jo«- Pm trukins a new start. If 1 roing to South America to get .bunk I’d stay here and Jag up with

in. bunch.

Tbls wfcs the sum of Alkali’s expla- •• tion. and when the time came for ft e final hand-shake Joe Hae-keti lost m friend and Texas last a cowboy, a hose pun work made the tent performers who break glass balls In the air with bullets Jootc like twenty cents ami a thin ditae. From this yen would Infer that when Alkali’s six-shooter came out of the holster there wasn’t going to be any argument. A rattler at thirty paces always got I' in both e/es.w’so as not to spoil hu bliJo." and there were buck Jack rabbit* in th- neighborhood carrying bulbt boles in their left ear as a mark n from Alkali.

her. whether uny par tcular occasion for fighting presented Itself or not. seemed to have been made for men to protect. Pcrha pa you got this idea through the look of her brown perhaps it wis because she never contradicted a man. but gave him a smile which irompled him to contradict himself If he had an idea that that was what U e smile meant Perhaps, as Miss 'Irglnta herself would have sfld. It was “Just because. ’ As lone as James Dargnn’s work had kept him In Te am. Alkali was of the favored It a daeen and a half “suitors” who ea «d at his home. In Texas. Alkali paid Attentions In bis own distinctive way. If It was a pony Miss Dargnn wanted. Alkali presrnted her with the fastest and yaited pony to be had If she fancied f v > pounds of chocolate bonbons. It was bronco that measured the 20 mile* lo the nearest candy-sbep. In fact. Alkali on his native heath was master of all he surevytd. excepting of course when he looked at Miss Virginia. And even then, once in a great while, he received “fair, speechless messages" that didn’t require a French dictionary to translate. But In Candeleria It was different. A cowboy in a jungle is about as much home as a Hell’s kitchen ganster <-n Fifth avenue. Besides. In a small community a foreman like A. Decker tar* a peculiar sort of precedence over on ordinary section-hand like Alkali that nerve, physique and devotion don’t entirely offset. This information is offered . • prepare yon for the news that Foreman A Decker was in South America also one of tur favored doren who spent their month-'mis at Mr. Dsrgnti’a

home.

As the work went on recruits for Miss Virginia’s favor* began to drop cut of ranks, leaving on the firing-line Foreman A. Decker and section-hand No. 15. Alkali Richards. Gradually Miss Virginia appeared to show the foreman preference, or so 1. seemed to Alkali. He lay awske nights while the pangs of Jealousy grew and ranked In his breast like a ttopical weed. And here was plenty of tiu:e to think of her. In fact, there was no’hlng to do but thirl, of her after night came and the gang lay chafing and smoking In the little circle about the tents. Foreman Decker brought matters a show-down one morning when the work train backed nn to take Squad 53 lo Candeleria for the monthly

cation.

Alkali was in his lent, rolling the pelt of a pema—the latest victim of his six-shooter—to t presented to Miss Virginia, when he heard the bias of the whistle. He reached the track in time to the last var of the work train swinging around the curve. Alkali riidn' have to be told what bad happened. He knew that Decker's band on the

m the polished barrel of the gun In

Mr holster.

When he turned to speak to Miss Virginia Ms voice r.nd bis entire attitude softened; the taut, fighting muscle* of his neck nr.d back relaxed nnd bis powerful shoulders drooped

perceptibly.

"What do you think of that sort of sneak game. Virginia?” Has Dargan shook her head, opened pretty eyes In still wider surprise, nnd said reproxmgly: ■Don’t talk tha. way. please. Alkali. I’m sure Mr. Decker hsd no idea tha* you were being left. He told me how sorry he was. And only Just a few moments ago he promised me to ” “Don’t ask anything of Decker." Inteirupted Alkali, coming closer. “Don’t ask anything. And there’s Just other request I’ve got to make. Tell him that he’s not to put his foot in this house again Either you’ve got Decker or you can cut me out. The girl I come to see can’t hava hunk of meat like that hanging around. If he bad had his way I’d Ns sitting in camp now. wishing to see you alone. Virginia, and tell you ell ai-out It. Send him away If there Is one thing fatal it Is to y to force a woman's hand presence of a rival. It isn’t the nature of the sex to submit to being forc’d: they have to be persuaded and coaxed y countless little attentions. And hen a woman chooses, she chooses fTweefally. which is to say gradually. Alkali Richards, cowboy, couldn't be expected to know this. He wanted Virginia Dargan above ail things eh On the ranch he h*d always gotten what he wanted by the force of his fists, his lariat. Mis; Dargan trembled, hot answer'd calmly, as If she cared not a whit. ■Alkali." she began. "I think you’i hr. rid end rude. 1 think you’re ho rid to even think I’d have any

An hour later the work-train paffed in. bringing Foreman A. Decker and the squad. Any one except Alkali, who had ridden SO miles on a hand-car would have been sleepy when night came. But hours after ibr rest were stretched on their canvas* Alkali lay awake. Fifteen paces up the ragged line lay the foreman, breathing hard. Alkali watched him with all the hate that a man can feel for a fellow. The foreman seemed the only thing betw<-en him and happiness! Alksll had come to work for Virginia and imself: h" had given up all only to have this man step in and take all from him. Alkali found his hand resting* the handle of his gun—the gun that never missed. One slight pressure on the trigger and the foreman would never awake. One slight flexing of th- s nuscler of a single finger and the score would have been e-or.. as far ag Alkali was concerned. The thought of murder only grazed Alkali's brain. He put It out with a shudder an- sat up. startled by the madness of the desire. The foreman was sleeping like rhlM. In the dim light from the flickering lantern at the tent-po'. kali studied the foreman’s big face ms he lay on his back with his head a roll of blankets. His shirt was open at the neck, exposing his ehest almost to his waist. Alkali stmired his eyes to make a blurred spot of black that seemed to move along the foreman's leg. Th.* h’aek spot moved again and stopped at Decker’s knee. H was a spider—the deadly taran-

tula!

Teh body of the spider was as large » u walnut: It’s legs spread eight inches over the foreman’s thigh. There is nothing more to be feared than the sting of the tarantula. No herb, no acid, no sucking of the wound, surgeon will save Us victim. A man bitten is first thrown into delirium; he dances like a madman. When his strength is gone he sinks down frothing at the mouth. He grows pale and dies in convulsions. Alkali knew. The spider was crawling up toward • he foreman’s open shirt. Once a leg of the deadly Insect touched the bare flesh the sleeping ban’s hand would t-ov* unconsciously to that spot to brush off whatever chanced to be irritating the skin. Once a hand closed cn that spider it closed on death. Alkali watched with s strange fascination. Decker’s blood would

the way?

foreman? I Jr -J hands." be began, laying a hand Alkali repeated the la»ter question ! Alkali s shoulder. “I’m going bars over and over From this moment on home. I’m writing the chief today to

saw the foreman aa Virginia's appoint you In my place."

Mend and not hla enemy. j “You don't have to do anything for

The tarantula moved along the me " **ld Alkali.

an'* lee. Only a foot or two mote "I'm not doing anything for you.” and he would be on the foreman'a retorted Decker. ’I'm doing It for bared chest: a foot more and A. her. If you hadn't been such a hotDeckei would be among the number Wooded chap you'd have known beof madmen who here died of the tfxan- loro now. She's been asking me for tuls's sting. One twitch of a muscle »eeks tc promote you. If you had and that would end all! ' only listened you'd have found that

The gpid r began to move again. °nt yesterday.”

Alkali's finger pressed the trigger I "I mean Just what I say. Miss Vtrof his six-shooter. A report rang o-ct ' Mnla Dargan has been 'civil’ to mo sharply on the profound silence of the because she wanted me to advance right. Before the smoke cleared away 'ou as rapidly as possible. She’s been even' man in the cap was awake. Pn«lng up with me for your sake.

Alkali got op and walked to when-, r '» n ’‘ 5' oa ■*« that?’’

the foreman lay. A small hole was 1 “I <'an't see anything.' stammered Pipped In one of the foldn of the open j Alkali dazedly: 'but. !f you don’t mind, rhlrt-front. Alkali picked up the levs , HI take the hand-car and run back to of the spider and poluted to the splash | 'own and try to find out a few things

of dark skin and paste on the fore- for myaelf.”

shirt.

What did she think of this

"I ’

you to take this job ofi

man'

A tarantu'a." said Alkali. “He was making for your neck. I happened to be watching you——“ he foreman wiped the unsightly mesa from Ms shirt with a flugr' and shuddered. You saved my life." be said. ■'Thank you!" Don’t thank me." said Alkali. "I dodn't do it for your sake; thank her." The cowboy went back to hi* bed canvas and leaves. Several began to ask questions. ' A tarantula." he answered crossly, on the foreman. 1 blew him off." Alkali lay down and closed bis eyes. He was thinking ct Virginia. The next day at the lunch hour the foreman called Alkali aalde.

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bell-cord bad given the starting signal, and he also knew that Decker had deliberately taken the train in without

be Porto Veibo branch of the

i'-Paraguayan railroad runs *lxty , I 11 ®- „ . . „ , trwa ,o th, Mrrttf. IT ™ ^

--nion ,* tamriwl * »«* **W «X«* **"

■ s?—£“ z:

• mouth of <he Amazon. , rap Iron. Ih. Inuwense forasl.

•■ Jungle, which had formerly been

of a pistol-ball hi? life wouldn't have

. on tltc .bonldrr, ot M.<* 1 *“ h ■■' P °‘

1 Tw o black men. camp servants, wet nfortunate in coming in contact with

A c.uarter of a mile ahead of the 1 . . ..

'■ •' nbi-d on the railway company's ' *-'rer ax Squad 31. were slowly eater •heir way through the tangle of '• S'-'-l timbnr and undergrowt

At the point of a gun he

to man a hand car. and the next day. standing solidly over them. Alkali pu;oP"d into Candeleria. weary. Je»>

Ion band No. J

A. Dork or |

i of need | 1

ian la bested by Ms rival

he often fails to take account of the f fc rt that the gtrl hasn’t directly con .riw-.iMt his humiliation. He doe'

»h a victory won purely .in a victory won through jerence she may have ex-

* fr<

! the ear

blinded by jealousy and unbink rationally, was in much s state o' mind as a Texas t had Is e.u thrown heavily by

s skilfully swring rope.

Alkali did not walk puocefnlly lo Mr. Dargan’s cottage: be charged It like a bull, with ej* shut and head

were sevan white women 1 * per*™

tn a radlux of a hundred miles . pressed 'mad 33. -me of these was the j Alkali

«*f '~hi.-f Engineer J .me* Dargan. ond was his daughter, Virginia. !< i her five were "lady friends" e more prosperous engineers, who. urh various exi emlitur* of elo,c * end cash, had persuaded them

the United States navy did

■ the aole means of travel and «x down. . .v., -t. cnee • And it isn’t the unexpected that hi

ZESJ ZS.E’Eir

■»»<*„ *'“ u >W r.™ „ imm, . „ u,.r B * bkPP'rr 'X" freedom of a Texas range and he had come into the rooi

“How did yon gvt here.

s. 1 don’t think you ought

to see me at all unless you’re Trillin.'

to be civP to r*y friends." Alsall's voice waa husky.

"Virginia. It ain't a question of being civil to yotr friends. But if you like him I guess It's all right with me. 1' you want lo see him you cannot s"e

me. and that's all I can say. The girl tamed her face away.

“I don't think you are fair to me Alkali. You aren’t fair to yourself, either. Bul If you can’t trust me to select my own friends I suppose you don’t have to worry about it any Docker stood by. listening and watching, with the assurance of a man who had stacked the cards and waltr calmly to see the expected results. Pride welled uu in the heart of Alkali—ihat sort of pride that comes of life in the open, of the freedom of Hoad acres. When it’s . question of pride or love with a stron { man who feels that he has been injured, pridi j always rules. Alkali would have bituff his tongue before sayfeg an

other word.

He turned and walked out. Soon afterward Mias Ylrglnln sent Foreman A. Deck- r away, and before reached the little bamboo gate In fiout of the house she crumpled to the floor In tears. Alakli walked In a daze. He ww jast the power of thinking. An Impenetrable gloom seemed to envelop al! thing? . Out of the chaos and confusion of bis suffering on tlumeht reneated Itself over and ovt

1l his brain.

He had lost Virginia! After thz nothing seemed worth while. He eontlnued aimlessly through th dirty streets of the village. He heard Ixiisterous singing and followed th* • ounrt of the sw.ncing doors of tbi only saloon in Candeleria. Inside, the greater part of Squad “s wrere sprawled drunkenl: table- and ehalrr.. Alkali paused lefore the door*, through which issued th. re. x of stale beer mdsmoke. Two stumbled out and bump d squar*

iy into him.

"Pabding me. suh." said one: "my Men’ here is slightly under the ther. Pabding me." And then Tilly Cameron turned roughly :o "Men' ’’Say. you Lizzie, why you took where you're goln’ ?’’ The strong perfume and the painted beauty of Tilly Cameron smite Alkali l,k«* a blow. For a moment b« swayed dizzily with an impulse to follow her Then he seemed to *ee Virginia standing fcefot Mm *»*I •«> ,ha ' was genuine ir. Alkali responded to that vision. Ha turned and walked

toward the station

The next evening Alkali and t» negroes alighted at Camp 33 after

faatid-

He was not responsible; he was not

his guardian.

Could he go back to Virginia and tell her of his love once more* Could he win her bark writh Deckc

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